2003 AU-UM

[Kaos]

Had work to do. Was awake.  Watched most of the Auburn-Ole Miss game from 2003.  I remember that game hurting me more than any other in Auburn history because it was the last nail in the coffin of the dreams that season held.  It eliminated us from the SEC chase after we'd been drummed from the national title race by USC and Georgia Tech. 

Of all the losses we ever endured, that one destroyed my soul because of the hopes with which I'd come into that season.  Even after the USC loss, I kept alive the hope that we'd win the SEC. And we had a chance. That game derailed even that.

Buried in the pain of that loss, I had forgotten just how great those kids really were.  And also maybe how miserably our coaching staff failed them that season. 

We should have won that game.  But the things that plagued Tuberville his entire Auburn career bit us in the ass. 

Erratic field goal kicking for one.  Missed a 31-yarder that would have left the final drive needing just a chip shot from the four to win it.

Conservatism for another.  Yeah we had Ronnie and Carnell, but we played so conservatively that we wasted the talents of Jason Campbell, Ben Obomanu, Jeris McIntyre, Devin and others. 

Don't tell me Campbell wasn't worth a shit prior to 2004.  He was absolutely heroic in that game.  The last drive where he did everything but score the touchdown himself was a testament to his coolness and ability. I'd gladly take somebody with half his moxie today. 

Good GOD, our receivers today are awful compared to those guys.  Even though Ben dropped that easy pass in the end zone, he was still so much more talented than anything we had on the roster last season.  It's easy to dump on Burns and Todd, but if they'd had ONE guy of Obomanu's caliber things might have been different. 

After watching that game and seeing all that obvious talent squandered?  I don't blame our people for getting on the plane to Louisville.  I don't blame them at all. 

What Tuberville did after that debacle of a season redeemed him. But it's still disconcerting to look back and realize what we wasted that season. 

[Saniflush]

  I don't blame our people for getting on the plane to Louisville.  I don't blame them at all.   

I do. That is not how an adult handles their business.

[Kaos]

I do. That is not how an adult handles their business.

Yes it is. 

It's how Alabama ended up with Saban.  How LSU got Miles. How Michigan got Rodriguez.  It's how Nutt got to Ole Miss.  How Petrino got to Arkansas.

It's how we ended up with Chizik, probably. Because we went about things the alleged "above board" way and nobody worth a fiddling shit would talk to Jacobs' stupid ass.

Nobody goes through channels or through the front door.  All of this stuff happens behind the scenes and is a done deal before anything is announced. 

Had they not gotten caught?  Here's what would have happened.

Auburn would have announced that Tuberville was resigning.  Housel would have pledged to begin a thorough coaching search.  Several names would be "leaked" all would deny interest. 

A few weeks later -- after denying interest himself -- Petrino would have been introduced as the new head coach. 

That is the way it's done in the real world. 

[Ogre]

Nobody goes through channels or through the front door.  All of this stuff happens behind the scenes and is a done deal before anything is announced. 

This is correct.  My eyes have been opened over the past 3 years to the way that this business operates. Even though Jacobs preached and preached about doing it all 'above board', he was still burning up phone lines to at least one coach's agent without getting approval from that school's AD. 

[Kaos]

This is correct.  My eyes have been opened over the past 3 years to the way that this business operates. Even though Jacobs preached and preached about doing it all 'above board', he was still burning up phone lines to at least one coach's agent without getting approval from that school's AD. 

Too bad somebody smarter than him wasn't burning the phone lines. 

That idiot was probably calling Rush Probst or Ty Willingham.

[Saniflush]

Yes it is. 

It's how Alabama ended up with Saban.  How LSU got Miles. How Michigan got Rodriguez.  It's how Nutt got to Ole Miss.  How Petrino got to Arkansas.

It's how we ended up with Chizik, probably. Because we went about things the alleged "above board" way and nobody worth a fiddling shit would talk to Jacobs' stupid ass.

Nobody goes through channels or through the front door.  All of this stuff happens behind the scenes and is a done deal before anything is announced. 

Had they not gotten caught?  Here's what would have happened.

Auburn would have announced that Tuberville was resigning.  Housel would have pledged to begin a thorough coaching search.  Several names would be "leaked" all would deny interest. 

A few weeks later -- after denying interest himself -- Petrino would have been introduced as the new head coach. 

That is the way it's done in the real world. 

I never said that it doesn't happen.  I said that is not how an adult handles their business IMO.  We all want to win ball games but at the end of the day is it not more important to attempt to follow our own creed?

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

So you are saying no one else would talk to Jacobs because we were above board?  Okay.  Let me know when the space shuttle lands.

[Snaggletiger]

I agree 100% that's how it's done when big name schools are trying to one-up everyone else and work behind the scenes to nab their guy.  However, Auburn's search may have been "above board" because of the timing of Tuberville's departure.  He turned in the keys at the end of the season and they seemingly took their time to find the guy they wanted.

Of course, the issue is whether the guy they wanted turns out to be the right guy for the job.

[Buzz Killington]

So you are saying no one else would talk to Jacobs because we were above board?  

As much as I friggin hate to admit it, I believe this to be true.  The amount of media coverage has made most coaches do everything like this in private, behind the scenes.

[Kaos]

I never said that it doesn't happen.  I said that is not how an adult handles their business IMO.  We all want to win ball games but at the end of the day is it not more important to attempt to follow our own creed?

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

So you are saying no one else would talk to Jacobs because we were above board?  Okay.  Let me know when the space shuttle lands.

Don't fly the creed in my face.

Business is business.  There was nothing wrong with the Louisville flight beyond getting caught and blown out of proportion.  If you are going to remove one CEO you want to make sure you have a definite plan in place. That wasn't underhanded. It was business.

The clown circus Jacobs ran where Tuberville was shoved out the door and there was no plan in place is the royal ass-up.  You go around knocking on peoples front doors to ask if you can talk to their wives you're going to get a lot of doors slammed in your idiot face. And you end up with some bitch another guy is happy to be shed of.

Yeah. I'm saying it. Without hesitation. The best coaches would not talk to Jacobs because it was all being done in public. Idiot.

[wesfau2]

Don't fly the creed in my face.

Lip service?

[CCTAU]

I still gasped when Obamanu dropped that ball. And I knew it was coming.

[Saniflush]

Don't fly the creed in my face.

I am not flying it into your face.  Either you try to adhere to it and want the people representing you to or you do not. 

[RWS]

I still gasped when Obamanu dropped that ball. And I knew it was coming.

I watched this game the other night as well. I never saw the original airing, so it was a pretty exciting game. Couldn't believe Obamanu dropped it either.

I watched the '08 LSU vs. AU game night before last as well. Holy shit, you guys better hope that Todd's shoulder was fucked up that early in the season. He had I think 17 completions in that game, but maybe half of them were completed due to a blown coverage. The other half were decent passes. If that was a healthy Todd, then damn....

[War Eagle!!!]

I disagree RWS. That was actually one of Todd's better games. I watched the first half again the other night and I din't think he played bad. I know I wear blue tinted glasses, but I thunk Todd's play had as much to do with Franklin's schemes than anything else. We had ZERO running game...

[RWS]

I disagree RWS. That was actually one of Todd's better games. I watched the first half again the other night and I din't think he played bad. I know I wear blue tinted glasses, but I thunk Todd's play had as much to do with Franklin's schemes than anything else. We had ZERO running game...

It looked like y'all ran maybe 10 different plays the whole game, if that.

[Godfather]

It looked like y'all ran maybe 10 different plays the whole game season, if that.

FTFY

[Kaos]

I am not flying it into your face.  Either you try to adhere to it and want the people representing you to or you do not. 

It's not appropriate for every situation. 

I want the people who represent Auburn to be honorable people, but I also realize that business decisions have to be made. 

You have to consider the bigger picture.  I think I am honorable.  I try to do the right thing by my employees.
 
I'm going to fire somebody tomorrow because it just isn't working out.  She isn't getting the job done like I need it to be done.  I've known for three weeks I'm going to fire her. I haven't told her.  I knew it when she started talking about wanting to buy a new car.  I quietly told her that it was a risky move in this economy.  Cash for clunkers... she did it anyway. 

I've already lined up her replacement.  It's somebody who currently has another job.   

Is that dishonorable? 

No. It's business. 

What would be dishonorable would be to fire her and have no plan and leave all the other employees in this company in a bind because I didn't think ahead. 

I believe in doing the right thing.  But there's nothing in the creed that says you can't do what's necessary in a business situation to survive.  Sometimes its better to keep things to yourself.  Which Auburn would have if they'd used a different plane than Lowder's.  It was no clandestine, crooked deal.  It's the way business is done in the real world.

[Saniflush]

It's not appropriate for every situation. 

So at best the creed would be what you consider selective advice?

[Snaggletiger]

So, Creed is back together? I got to where I hated that Scott Stapp fellow.  He got too big for his britches.

[Kaos]

So at best the creed would be what you consider selective advice?

Nope.

Which parts of the Bible are selective?  

You do your best to adhere to the general principles while functioning in a society that requires you to follow the processes in place if you want to remain competitive.  

If we really don't want to remain competitive?  I'm really okay with that too.  

Just don't shiitake in one hand and wish in the other.